Graduation
by curlymonic1215
Summary: Peter and Ruthie think about their upcoming graduation from high school


Title: Graduation  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. This song belongs to vitamin C  
  
//And so we talked all night about the rest of our lives//  
  
//Where we're gonna be when we turn 25//  
  
//I keep thinking times will never change//  
  
Ruthie looked over at Peter and smiled gently, her brown hair flowing over her shoulders. He met her eyes and returned the kind smile. It was hard to think that today might be the last day they ever spend together. They had been together since the eighth grade. They had gone through everything together and now they took the chance of never seeing each other again.  
  
"Graduation's tomorrow," she said softly not knowing why she had said that. Of couse he knew graduation was tomorrow. It's all either of them could think about for almost 3 months now. God it seemed like just yesterday they were joking about one day being rich and living their own lives... 

//Keep on thinking things will always be the same//  
  
//But when we leave this year we won't be coming back//  
  
//No more hanging out cause we're on a different track//  
  
//And if you got something that you need to say//  
  
She was going to Harvard and he was just sticking to a community college for now. He was planning on going somewhere else in a couple of years but for now he wanted to stick with community college. He wished they could just go back in time and be 13 again. Both of them wanted to be together but they knew it would never happen. She would see him only on vacations or when she came home and even then she would spend more time with her family. That was the type of girl Ruthie was and Peter knew that. He loved her for that.  
  
"I'll miss you," he whispered and she looked at him with a sad face. God he would miss that face. Heck he would miss her. He loved her. If he could he'd ask her to marry him but both agreed that they weren't ready and that if they were really meant to be they could get married after a few years of college. 

//You better say it right now cause you don't have another day//  
  
//Cause we're moving on and we can't slow down//  
  
//These memories are playing like a film without sound//  
  
The two of them shared so many things together. The first time they met. The first time she kissed him. There were so many things Ruthie wanted to tell Peter and yet nothing was coming out. She wanted to tell him that she loved him, she wanted to cry in his arms and have him just hold her. Most of all....she wanted things to be the way they used to be. She didn't want to have to leave him...  
  
"Peter please..." 

//And I keep thinking of that night in June//  
  
//I didn't know much of love//  
  
//But it came too soon//  
  
She remember last summer. They shared the one thing that they had kept sacred. What happened that night made them realize just how much they loved each other. That night was the night both Ruthie and Peter had lost their virginity. Neither knew what love had meant, neither knew what would come of that situation....but in the end everything worked out ok. They were still together. God almost 5 years and they were still together. 

//And there was me and you//  
  
//And we got so blue//  
  
//Stay at home talking on the telephone//  
  
//We'd get so excited, we'd get so scared//  
  
//Laughing at ourselves thinking life's not fair//  
  
//And this is how it feels//  
  
Peter and Ruthie weren't just boyfriend and girlfriend. They were best friends. They knew each other deepest secrets. When Peter's father had become an alcoholic for the second time Ruthie was there to listen to him as he cried or shouted out his anger. When Lucy moved away to New York to start a family with Kevin, Peter was there for Ruthie. Though all the good times they had were in her head also. Winning prom queen and king, getting their driver's license. 

//[1] - As we go on//  
  
We remember//  
  
//All the times we//  
  
//Had together//  
  
//And as our lives change//  
  
//Come whatever//  
  
//We will still be//  
  
//Friends Forever//  
  
"Ruthie if this is the last time I ever see you....I just want you to know I'll always be there for you," said Peter and Ruthie nodded slowly not wanting the tears that she knew were there to fall.  
  
"I'll be back in November. We can still talk on the phone and all every night.  
  
"...And argue over who hangs up first," said Peter smiling just a little bit and for the first time in a long time Ruthie laughed. 

//So if we get the big jobs//  
  
//And we make the big money//  
  
//When we look back now//  
  
//Will our jokes still be funny?//  
  
Peter knew things would change between the two. Somewhere along the lines they would date other people and then they'd be there for each other when someone broke their heart. Ruthie was going to become a lawyer...in his eyes she'd be the best in the world. He knew she could argue well. All the jokes the two shared...he just hoped that later on in life they could still laugh about maybe even this time. 

//Will we still remember everything we learned in school?//  
  
//Still be trying to break every single rule//  
  
//Will little brainy Bobby be the stockbroker man?//  
  
//Can Heather find a job that won't interfere with her tan?//  
  
//I keep, I keep thinking that it's not goodbye//  
  
//Keep on thinking it's a time to fly//  
  
//And this is how it feels//  
  
She wondered if Peter would stay the same through college. What if he started mixing in with the wrong crowd? She knew he knew not to do those sort of things but this was college. Ruthie knew from her brothers and sisters that college changes you. Matt had decided to become a doctor in college and Lucy changed her major in college. No matter how much they tried to convince each other neither would be the same after these 4 years were over. To them it felt like they were high school freshman all over again. 

[Repeat 1] La, la, la, la:  
  
Yeah, yeah, yeah  
  
La, la, la, la:  
  
We will still be friends forever 

//Will we think about tomorrow like we think about now?//  
  
//Can we survive it out there?//  
  
//Can we make it somehow?//  
  
//I guess I thought that this would never end//  
  
//And suddenly it's like we're women and men//  
  
//Will the past be a shadow that will follow us 'round?//  
  
//Will these memories fade when I leave this town//  
  
//I keep, I keep thinking that it's not goodbye//  
  
//Keep on thinking it's a time to fly//  
  
Graduation day had finally come and for those last few moments, those last few hours Ruthie and Peter could not be separated.  
  
"I never thought I'd see the day I'd have to be away from you," whispered Peter in her ear and Ruthie kissed his lip passionately.  
  
"We won't be away. Don't think like that Peter. We'll always be together," she said tears welling up in her eyes and he sighed leaning againt a tree pulling her with him.  
  
"It's going to be hard. It's a big world out there and without you I guess I just don't know what will happen. Ruthie...I'm scared," he said and she nodded.  
  
"Me too," she whispered.  
  
"So while your in boston looking for an apartment..."  
  
"I'll try and remember not to eavesdrop on the neighbors," she giggle rolling her eyes and Peter had to keep from bursting out into laughter.  
  
"Why Ruthie Camden I never thought I'd see the day you gave up eavesdropping," he laughed and she sighed.  
  
"It won't be Glenoak Peter. It won't be a place where people know me and things.  
  
"Remember when..."  
  
Ruthie silence him with a kiss and neither broke apart until Peter's mom called.  
  
"Peter let's go! We have to get the rest of the things packed for Italy," cried his mom and finally he broke apart. It had been the one thing he'd been planning for a while. When he graduated he'd spend the whole summer with him mom in Italy. He never thought he'd be leaving Ruthie by doing that.  
  
"Good-  
  
His sentence was cut off by Ruthie who smiled gently.  
  
"Not good-bye. See you around," she smiled and he nodded kissing her one last time then heading to where his mom was standing. 


End file.
